Uganda Considers Strict Anti-Porn Law
KAMPALA, UGANDA — The Ugandan parliament is considering draft legislation that will impose fines or imprisonment upon anyone who creates or distributes pornographic material in print or on the Web.Ethics and Integrity Minister James Nsaba Buturo said passage of the bill is one of his department’s primary goals, because pornography is “compromising the minds” of the country’s youth and fueling promiscuity.
Under the proposed law, which is expected to receive a parliamentary vote soon, anyone found guilty of “producing or participating in production, trafficking, publishing or broadcasting pornography” will be subject to a fine of $250 or two years imprisonment.
The bill authorizes police to obtain warrants that will allow them to search any property on any premises for evidence of porn. Movie theaters and cybercafés will be under particular scrutiny.